


Right to the Very End

by jasminedragon13



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:54:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22596619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasminedragon13/pseuds/jasminedragon13
Summary: Theo Wells thought that Sixth Year was going to be her best yet. She has just reunited with her best friend Cedric and they've laid out an intensive plan for the perfect year involving Quidditch, illegal camping in the Forbidden Forest, and a new Hogwarts Journal of Magizoology. All of these plans were promptly ruined by the Triwizard Tournament and Cedric's sudden interest in another witch. Theo wonders whether she can salvage the year and more importantly, if she can save her best friend from a terrible fate.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	Right to the Very End

She shoved her way through the crowded train station, forcefully weaving the trolley around tourists and frustrated attendants. Approaching the barrier to Platform 9 3/4, her dad jogged up behind her, panting heavily.

"Theo, wait! There are muggles around, you need to be more careful!" he hissed.

As usual, she ignored him and ran straight through the barrier. She squinted through the haze of steam rising off the Hogwarts Express, past the crowds of students gossiping and the first-years crying and clinging to their parents. Finally, she caught sight of him and her face broke into an involuntary grin as she sprang forward. Before she could move more than two steps away, a hand closed around her upper arm, yanking her back.

"Were you planning on saying goodbye?" her father asked, already knowing the answer.

"Right. Bye then." she said unenthusiastically, brushing his hand away.

"Have a good term." he said, just as passively. He patted her shoulder once awkwardly before turning and vanishing back through the barrier.

Turning back around, she gasped in shock as Cedric's face had appeared right behind her, grinning broadly. She shoved him back before pulling him forward into a crushing hug.

"Good summer, then?" he laughed, squeezing her back tightly.

“You’ve no idea.” she breathed, her faced pressed closely to his broad shoulder.

* * *

Ever the gentleman, Cedric watched her struggle to shove her trunk onto one of the storage spaces above the seats.

“For someone so tall, you’re really shit at reaching high places.” he laughed.

“Well if we hadn’t been assigned so many bloody books this semester.” she puffed, face turning red with exertion.

Finally, he stood, stretching his long legs with a dramatic sigh as he reached his arms around her and gently pushed the trunk into place.

“Um, hello? Budge up a little.” Cedric had not removed his arms from the crossbar above her head and she was trapped. She turned tightly in his embrace, their noses touching. “Ced, move.”

“What’s the magic word?” she could feel his chuckle rumble in her chest.

“Don’t be a git.” She scoffed.

“Well then I guess we’re staying right here until we get to Hogwarts.” He said, stubbornly.

“Well I’m about to fucking Crucio you, so I hope that’s it.” He laughed and shook his head. Seeing no other way out, she stamped on his foot and shoved him back onto the seat opposite when he started to hop up and down, clutching his ankle.

* * *

“I noticed your mum wasn’t there to drop you off earlier,” Cedric said, sometime later when they had relaxed enough for conversation. “Having another one of her days?” he asked gently.

Theo sighed deeply, slumping further back in her seat before nodding. “I don’t really want to get into it just yet.” She said, resting her head against the window, watching the blank landscape roll by.

“Anything from the trolley?” the lunch witch’s loud call cut through the tense silence.

“Could I get some pumpkin juice and a cauldron cake?” Theo thanked the witch as she handed over her snacks. “Coming, Ced?” she asked as she turned to see her friend still standing in the doorway, holding an armful of food.

“In a minute,” he said distractedly. “I’m going to see if Cho needs some Drooble’s or something.”

She frowned as he dumped the majority of his food onto her seat before loping out the door and down the narrow corridor. She leaned back against the window as she remembered the first time she had ever encountered her best friend.

* * *

_Her parents steered her onto the platform as if she was like to bolt at any moment. And to be fair…it wouldn’t be the first time. One too many mishaps at Harrod’s in her childhood had made them wary of letting her run wild near muggles._

_“Okay, you can let go of me now.” Theo said, annoyed. She squirmed, struggling to loosen their grip on her._

_“You have to wait until your surprise gets here.” Her mother said, a smile in her voice._

_“What surprise? Isn’t Hogwarts enough?”_

_Suddenly, a voice called, “Is that my little Erumpent?” from across the platform. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father heave her trunk onto the train._

_“Jude!” she cried sprinting forward as he leant down to catch her in his arms._

_His dark green traveling cloak whipped around her as he threw her into the air._

_“What are you doing here!?”_

_“Couldn’t let my little sister run off to Hogwarts without saying goodbye, now could I?”_

_“But I thought you were in South America chasing the Peruvian Vipertooth?”_

_“I thought this was more important.” He grinned, setting her gently on the ground._

_Kneeling so they were level with one another, he whispered clandestinely, “Plus I’ve already tracked it to its mating ground and found a few souvenirs.” He pressed a large curved fang into her hand. “Careful, it’s just a smidge poisonous.” Seeing the look on their mum’s face he said, “Don’t stab anyone with it!” and then quietly to her, “Unless they deserve it.”_

_Theo laughed and threw her arms around him again as the train’s whistle blew. Her father had returned, breathing hard._

_“One last thing,” Jude said, pulling his soft grey and yellow scarf from around his neck and draping it over hers. “Make me proud, little sister.” He stroked her cheek gently before rising and pushing her toward the train. She gave them all one last hug before running and jumping onto the now moving train. She waved as the train gathered speed, disappearing into a tunnel that would lead her to her next adventure._

_She traveled down the train for quite some time, looking for where her dad had stowed her trunk. Most of the compartments were full and she was too nervous to explore the ones that weren’t. So many wary eyes peered out at her. Finally, she spotted her belongings in an empty compartment. She turned to slide the door shut behind her and yelped in surprise as she slammed it directly onto someone’s hand. The boy—for she had identified this unknown species as a boy by then—howled in pain, clutching his smashed hand closely to his chest._

_“What’d you do that for?” He cried, eyes watering in pain._

_“I didn’t see you!” she cried back. “Are you okay?”_

_“What d’you bloody well think?”_

_“Okay, there’s no need to get unpleasa—” she stopped dead. “Has anyone ever told you that you resemble a giant bowtruckle?”_

_“Unpleasant! I think I have the right to be—wait, what’s a bowtruckle?”_

_“Oh, it’s this magical creature that’s like a little twig…never mind.” She said at the look on his face._

_“So now you’ve crushed my hand—and my hopes for flying lessons—and insulted me?”_

_“No bowtruckles are actually quite cute!” she blurted before blushing brightly, looking down at the patterned floor._

_“Oh.” He said stupidly. “Alright then.” He held out his non-injured hand. “I’m Cedric.”_

_“Theo.” She said, gently shaking his hand._

_“I’m going to sit down now if that’s okay,” he stated, pointing past her at one of the empty seats. “You haven’t got any more painful surprises for me, I hope?”_

_“Erm, not that I can think of just now.”_

_“Good.” His face split into a broad grin, his grey eyes sparkling merrily as he looked at her. “I think I’ve had enough surprises for one day.”_

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at fanfiction writing, so please be kind! Leave comments below about what you think of the chapter and what you'd like to see in the future. Thanks!


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